State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) has won an award from a tax reform group.
“Tennessee Senator Mark Green, MD was honored for his ongoing work devoted to taxpayers via legislative and regulatory reforms by the Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy organization. The award presentation was made at the monthly meeting of the Center Right Coalition of TN meeting by Patrick Gleason of the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR),” Mark Green for Tennessee said in a statement released earlier this week:
“My commitment to Tennesseans has not and will not change. A government should always look for ways to allow its citizens to keep more money in their family budget and not the State’s,” noted Green, physician and business owner. “The Hall Income Tax was bad policy that penalized both investors and those who saved.”
Annually the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit, independent tax policy organization recognizes state leaders – legislators, governors and other officials – for the effective legislative and regulatory reforms that improve a state’s tax policy. The honoree, according to the group, must be noted as 1) outstanding, 2) achieved during the 2016 legislative calendar and 3) reform taxes to make simpler, more neutral, more transparent, more stable and more pro-growth for the overall economy, businesses and citizens. To date, only 21 leaders across the nation have been recognized over the last four years.
“Mark Green is a Tennessee leader and a national leader. His consistent stance on policy protecting workers, their income and their small businesses from the insatiable hunger of government for spending and waste is a virtue in this day of monied politics,” commented Patrick Gleason, Director of State Affairs for ATR. “We need more Tennessee legislators and more national leaders to embrace his very thoughtful approach to tax policy.’
The Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award was presented to Senator Green for his work in Tennessee’s 109th General Assembly to eliminate the Hall Income Tax. The last remnant of an income tax in Tennessee treated earnings on investment and interest to as personal income that was levied by the State. The legislation, now law, that eliminates this income tax that disproportionately impacted seniors and individuals who invested, will phase out the tax by 2022.
“Those who are elected find it very easy to spend other people’s money. Making it a priority that our economy grows through consumer spending, by job growth from business investment and a healthy economy is my approach to Tennessee policy and takes commitment to our hard-working Tennesseans,” stated Green, the Clarksville Republican serving in his second term.
Green is a US Army Veteran, founder in health care staffing company operational in ten states and a practicing physician. He and his wife, Camie, have two grown children and live in Clarksville serving in Tennessee’s 22nd Senate District.
Americans for Tax Reform, a group founded by Grover Norquist, was criticized by conservative groups in Tennessee when it issued a statement during the gas tax increase debate that legislators who voted for it were not violating their no tax increase pledges.
State Senator Green voted against Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase, which goes into effect on Saturday, July 1.
